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Adrienne Stephenson, GR, Tallahassee, Florida, has received multiple awards and recognitions during her career, including being named one of the 25 Women to Know in 2021 by the Tallahassee Democrat; the newspaper honored women who “defied the challenges that 2020 brought and continued to give back and give their all to those in need.” Following (page 8) is the profile of Adrienne that appeared in the Democrat in April 2021. It highlights her many accomplishments academically, professionally and in her community. As you learn about this amazing service- minded woman with a passion for mentoring, it will seem a natural fit that she became a P.E.O. Adrienne is assistant dean of The Graduate School and director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards at Florida State University (FSU). It was in her role at the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards where she first learned about P.E.O. In 2017, members of Chapter GR Carolyn Walker and Dusty Bennett reached out to Adrienne to ask for help identifying graduate women pursing doctoral degrees who may be eligible for the P.E.O. Scholar Award. Carolyn and Dusty were hoping to create an on-going sustainable
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SISTERHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP & SERVICE:
Inside the Heart of P . E . O . Adrienn St phenson
by B cky Frazier, Editor, The P.E.O. Record
relationship. Adrienne recalls, “When Carolyn and Dusty came to the university, it was like we knew each other for a very long time. They told me about the P.E.O. Scholar Awards and all the other things their chapter does in the community. We connected over our love for service and talked about what we could do to engage all six P.E.O. chapters in the Tallahassee area.” Carolyn and Dusty invited Adrienne to a reciprocity meeting; she spoke to the group about her role at FSU, the landscape of women pursuing doctoral degrees and what the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards does to help students identify fellowships and scholarships. Adrienne and those in attendance recognized the potential for a mutually-beneficial relationship. P.E.O. has scholarships, grants and loans and Adrienne has an extensive database of young women pursuing higher education who may qualify for P.E.O. projects. Since then, Adrienne has helped Tallahassee chapters identify potential recipients. “ I try to be a connector , ” says Adrienne.
1, 2, 5: Adrienne spearheaded Chapter GR’s school supply drive project; they collected supplies for 36 elementary school teachers in their community
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THE P.E.O. RECORD | March–April 2022
Women helping women reach for the stars
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